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How much carbon can be added to soil by sorption?

Journal Article · · Biogeochemistry
AbstractQuantifying the upper limit of stable soil carbon storage is essential for guiding policies to increase soil carbon storage. One pool of carbon considered particularly stable across climate zones and soil types is formed when dissolved organic carbon sorbs to minerals. We quantified, for the first time, the potential of mineral soils to sorb additional dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for six soil orders. We compiled 402 laboratory sorption experiments to estimate the additional DOC sorption potential, that is the potential of excess DOC sorption in addition to the existing background level already sorbed in each soil sample. We estimated this potential using gridded climate and soil geochemical variables within a machine learning model. We find that mid- and low-latitude soils and subsoils have a greater capacity to store DOC by sorption compared to high-latitude soils and topsoils. The global additional DOC sorption potential for six soil orders is estimated to be 107 $$$$\pm$$$$ ± 13 Pg C to 1 m depth. If this potential was realized, it would represent a 7% increase in the existing total carbon stock.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1762546
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1804291
OSTI ID: 1770635
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL--821941; PII: 759
Journal Information:
Biogeochemistry, Journal Name: Biogeochemistry Journal Issue: 2-3 Vol. 152; ISSN 0168-2563
Publisher:
SpringerCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Netherlands
Language:
English

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